The present invention relates to a railway freight car truck and, more particularly, to an improved railway freight car truck having a brake beam adaptable for differing rail gauges.
In a railway freight car truck, two axles are held in a pair of laterally spaced sideframes, with a bolster extending laterally between and supported on each sideframe. The wheels are press fit on the axles, with the ends of the axles also fitted with a roller bearing assembly. The roller bearing assembly itself is fit into a bearing adapter that is fit into a pedestal jaw opening at the longitudinal end of each sideframe. The ends of the bolsters are themselves supported on spring groups, which are supported on the lower portion of the center openings of the sideframes.
A bearing adapter and pad assembly can also be provided that is useful in the fitting of the roller bearing assembly into the pedestal jaw opening of each sideframe. The bearing adapter, which is itself fit on top of the bearing assembly, is comprised of a unitary cast steel piece. An elastomeric adapter pad is fitted on top of the bearing adapter.
Two side bearings are also typically provided in an upper surface of the bolster to assist in supporting a car bolster that is part of the structure of the freight car.
Each railway freight car truck also includes two brake beams that act to transmit braking force through brake shoes to the outer tread of the railway wheels.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved railway truck having a brake beam support that can adapt to different rail gauges.